Unexpected Danger

by Nita Holstine

Spend just a little extra time to save a lot of money. No one ever thinks about tending the clothes dryer; at least not until the dryer takes forever to dry a load of clothes. Most new dryers have a handy easy to clean filter that is in the front and center where you clean it out with every use.

Cleaning a lint catcher is a simple chore but what about the other end of the vent hose; you know, the outside end that probably puts out that warm humid air full of lint under the house. I had never thought this could be a problem until my youngest daughter had a house fire that nearly cost them their lives. Instead, it cost most of their possessions. It took a fire inspector to tell them afterwards that the fire started from lint build up at the end of the vent tube. It had probably built up over a period of many years but after use that one evening had created enough heat to start a fire during the night.

Now, when the dryer isn't drying clothes as fast as it should, think to check the outside end. Mine is under the house and fairly easy to reach. I had worried that critters could crawl up and into the house and had devised a screen covering. That just made the lint build up really fast. Make sure the opening stays clear and your dryer use will be minimized and that's a lot of money to save and you will have the peace of mind that there is no fire smoldering below your home just waiting for you to sleep.

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